23
by Hollyleaf The Black Cat
Summary: "To Tashigi it started off as just another day at sea..." – A Tashigi birthday fic


Tashigi's birthday was on Oct 6th (which is when I started this fic, sadly it took two days to finish). I decided to write a fic to celebrate it. To be honest I tried to keep the focus more on Tashigi but I love SmoTash so obviously I had to add a little sprinkle of that into this as well. Enjoy!

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To Tashigi it had started off as just another day at sea. They were still on course to base to take the children to Vegapunk and were slowly floating along as their was no wind pushing them. It was a good day for everyone to just take it easy and relax.

For Tashigi "take it easy and relax" meant rigorous training. She finally felt she'd recovered enough from the events at Punk Hazard to start her daily routine back up. Though it wasn't going to be the same without Smoker there. He was still laid up in his bed; what exactly happened he still wouldn't tell her. Only said he had a run in with Doflamingo. Didn't say who rescued him just that he'd had some help. She'd tried to get answers from the handful of G-5 who were with him but they swore up and down they saw nothing.

 _Oh well, I guess I'll just have to dig up a wooden target somewhere._ Still, there was nothing like being able to slice through Smoker and get a better feel of where she was hitting on a real human body.

She grabbed Shigure and headed out of her room. Just as she started to turn the corner she was immediately greeted by a group of children. "Miss!" They all ran toward her and immediately Tashigi felt like she'd shrunk by ten feet. Still, seeing their beaming faces and bright eyes, she couldn't help but smile.

"What are you guys doing up so early? Are you hungry?"

They all shook their heads. "No, we're good. We actually were wondering if you'd take us to see Smokey!"

Tashigi giggled at their use of Strawhat's nickname for Smoker. She thought back to how they declared they wanted to become good pirates like the Strawhats. Then she thought back to the cat burglar's look when she begged her to take the children. It was almost...nostalgic. As if Tashigi had reminded her of someone. If Tashigi knew Smoker, they'd head back off after the Strawhats the second they got the children dropped off. Maybe one day she'd get the chance to ask her about it.

For now though she turned her attention back to the children. She knew that if it were anyone else Smoker would kill them if they bothered him. However, from their time at Lougetown she knew he was secretly a softy when it came to kids.

 _I guess training can wait_. "Alright, let's go."

"Yay!" They jumped in joy and Tashigi was positive she'd just felt the boat shake.

As they made there way to Smoker's cabin, one of the kids spoke up. "Are you excited, Miss?"

"Excited?" began Tashigi, "For what?"

The kid opened his mouth to speak but one of the girls jabbed him in the side and hissed, "Don't!"

 _What was that about?_ Tashigi was about to question them on the interaction but was stopped when they shouted "Smokey's room!"

Tashigi turned and noticed that they'd arrived at Smoker's door. Oh, better get the key. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key to his room. The doctor told Smoker he'd be bedridden for a few weeks and to limit getting out of it, even for something as small as opening the door. Of course, Smoker didn't want to be bothered by the crew all the time so he'd given Tashigi the key to his room so that she was the only one who could get in.

"Smoker-san?" she whispered as she slowly opened the door.

"I'm awake," came the gruff reply.

With that she pushed the door open all the way and saw Smoker sitting up in his bed, looking over a newspaper. He was still bandaged up all over and on the places were he wasn't she could still make out the purple bruises. _I hope he feels good enough for visitors_.

"Good morning, Smoker-san," Tashigi began. "The children wanted to come see you this morn-"

Without any warning, Tashigi was pushed forward and the door was slammed behind her. Smoker immediately sat up on the alert while Tashigi took a second to get to her feet. _What was that about?_

She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge as if something was blocking it.

"Open the door, guys," began Tashigi, her voice steady but stern.

"We-we're sorry Miss but the crew told us we couldn't let you out until they said," came the apologetic reply.

 _The crew?_

"What are those idiots up to now?" Smoker voiced the rest of her thoughts aloud. He didn't really sound interested though and returned to his paper.

Tashigi took a seat in the chair by his bed. "You're surprisingly calm about this."

Smoker shrugged. "Those idiots are rambunctious, sure, but it's not like they'll mutiny. Certainly not against their precious _Captain-chan_." He gave her a smirk and she couldn't help but blush.

"Sh-shut up!"

He was still smirking as he returned to his paper. Tashigi noticed it was the one from last week, about the Strawhats' Victory at Dressrosa. She wondered why he wasn't reading the latest one. _Maybe something's bothering him._

She started at all the bandages that clothed his body. What exactly had happened? Who'd saved him? All those questions ran through her head but then the one that had been nagging her the most came to the forefront of her thoughts. _Should I have been with him?_

Smoker had insisted he'd wait for some of the G-5 members to go back and search for some of the crew and that she should go back to the ship and get the children settled. But if she'd just been there...

 _You'd have only been in the way. You'd have put Smoker-san's life in more danger because you'd get reckless and he'd have to protect you. Just like with Law..._

Tashigi clenched her fists as she replayed the battle in her head. Then she thought about having to be helped by Roronoa Zoro in her battle against Monet. Then she thought back to Alabasta where Smoker had told her to get stronger and she promised she would. _But you haven't! You're still too weak! You'll never be a good enough to survive the New World if you can't get stronger._

She could feel hot, angry tears welling up in her eyes but the last thing she wanted was for Smoker to see her cry. _Whatever's happening I wish it would hurry up so I could go train._

She turned toward the door, half so Smoker couldn't see her face and half so she could watch for it to open.

"Tashigi."

At the sound of her name, she instinctively turned to face him. When her eyes met his, she noticed a worried look in them, something she rarely saw in them.

His voice was just a gruff as ever, though. "Something wrong?"

She was a little surprised at his concern but quickly shook her head. "Of-of course not."

He gave her a look that told her he didn't believe that but didn't press the subject and returned to his paper.

Still the thoughts were eating her up inside and she finally blurted out, "Am I weak?!"

Smoker seemed a little taken aback by her outburst but then slowly laid his paper down and looked her in her now reddening eyes. Instead of giving her a reply he answered her question with a question. "Do you remember when we first met?"

 _How could I forget? You saved me from those boys who were picking on me. You ended up in the infirmary. All because I was weak..._ She didn't say any of that though. She just replied, "Yes."

He stared up at the ceiling as if it was screen replying the event. "Do you want to know what I thought after I met you that day?"

"What? This girl's so clumsy she trips over her own glasses and can't differenciate a human body from an IV?"

He turns his gaze back to her, a stern look on his face. "I thought this girl is clumsy, reckless, way too apologetic, far too rigid about rules and ranks..."

"You can stop anytime," she snapped.

He couldn't help but smirk at her again. "How long ago was it that you wouldn't have dared snap back at me?" He then shook his head with a small chuckle before continuing, "I thought all those things about you but the most important thing I thought was that this girl is going to go on to be one of the greatest officers the Navy has ever seen. Because she's caring, resilient, tough, fearless..."

She let out a laugh as some tears fell from her eyes. "You can stop anytime."

That got a rare small smile out of Smoker. He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder and she raised her head to look him straight in the eyes.

"There's always going to be enemies tougher than you. But you're stronger than any of them could ever be physically. You've got guts, heart. That puts you worlds above any of the cowards we face."

"Smoker-san..."

"That's what makes you a great asset to the Navy, to G-5. That's why they admire you. That's why I-"

Before he could finish, the door flew open and a couple of crew members stepped in. Smoker immediately pulled away from Tashigi and glared at the men. "What the hell have you guys been up to?!" he growled.

"This is unacceptable behavior!" began Tashigi.

The men seem more upset by her anger than Smoker's. "But-but Captain-chan! We just needed time to get everything ready for you. And we knew you'd try to go to the deck to train so we had the kids distract you. Please don't be mad."

"Everything ready for what?" she asked, confused.

"Come on, we'll show you!" they shouted as they ran over and grabbed her hands. She looked back at Smoker but he just waved her off.

As they drug her up to the deck, she asked "What is going...on?"

Decorating every inch of the decks where colorful balloons and signs with the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY written all over them. In the middle was a huge table laid out with a big feast, the crew and the children all gathered around it.

"Wha..what?" Tashigi was speechless and unable to move as one of the men placed a birthday hat on her head.

"Happy birthday, Captain-chan!" they all shouted in unison.

As they pushed her toward the table, she said, "B-but it's not..." Then she thought about it. We left October 1st then two more days at sea, a day in Punk Hazard, then two days since we left...oh. It really was her birthday. And she'd completely forgotten.

They set her down at the head of the table as everyone else took there seats. The children gathered around behind her.

One of the men stood up to make a toast, "To the strong, caring, lovely Captain-chan! The crown jewel of G-5!"

The toast was met with a lot of clapping and hooping and hollering and shouts of how much they loved their Captian-chan. Even the kids joined in with shouts of "Miss! Miss!"

"Now for the main event!"

Suddenly the kitchen doors burst open and out came the biggest cake Tashigi had ever seen. They laid it down in front of her and written in pink icing where the words Happy Birthday Tashigi-chan! Then drew around it were childish scenes of her in battle, then some of just her.

"We did those, Miss," began one of the boys. "The crew were telling us about all your cool adventures!"

"And we did the others," began one of the girls, "Because you're so pretty and fun to draw!"

Tashigi stared down at the cake then looked back at all the smiling faces surrounding her. She felt more tears welling up in her eyes as she gave them the biggest smile she could and said "Thank you everyone!"

Again everyone began clapping and then broke out into a chorus of "Happy Birthday".

She thought back to Smoker's words from earlier about how she mattered to G-5 and she couldn't help but smile. _So long as I'm strong enough for them._

 **X**

Later that night, Tashigi decided to go to her favorite place to think and relax. When she arrrived, however, she saw someone she hadn't expected to be there.

"The doctor said not to even get up to answer the door and yet you've dragged youself all the way up here."

In the seat next to hers sat Smoker, puffing on a cigar.

"He also said no smoking," she continued as she took a seat beside him.

"Yep, he did say those things."

"But you aren't going to listen are you?"

He simply shook his head.

Tashigi sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Seven years later and you haven't changed."

"Seven years, huh? That's all?"

"Well I guess when you're with someone all the time it probably feels like more."

He nodded. "Guess it does." A moment of silence followed before Smoker reached beside him, grabbed a package, and handed it to Tashigi.

The first thing she noticed was that it was wrapped haphazardly in what would have been this week's paper.

"The kids saw it when the one of the gulls brought it. Begged me to let them wrap it. I just didn't realize they were going to use the paper," Smoker grumbled.

Tashigi giggled as she pictured the scene. "Want me to try to salvage it?"

He sighed. "No, just tear into it. I'll read one when we get to base."

Tashigi nodded and began ripping the paper off. It opened to reveal the new and updated volume of Meito. Immediately, her eyes sparkled. This had released only days ago; she had planned to pick up on the next island they had with a bookstore.

"You've got quite a few of them," he began, "You'll get them all back one day."

Tashigi ran her hand over the book as she thought about her dream then looked back up at Smoker and nodded. "Definitely."

He smiled back at her then slowly raised from his seat. "Well, I guess it's time to get back to bed before Doc finds me."

Before he could head off, she spoke up. "Um...Smoker-san? Earlier...what else were you going to say?"

It took him a second to think back but when he remember he gave her a soft smile. "I was just saying that's why I admire you."

Tashigi blinked, stunned by his remark, but then returned a beaming smile to him. "Thank you, Smoker-san."

"You're welcome," he began, "Happy birthday, little lady."

The magic of their moment was broken when a flustered Tashigi started shouting "Don-Don't call me that!" she stuttered and Smoker just smirked at her before turning around and having behind him.

"Good night."

Tashigi smiled at his retreating form then back down at her book. She pulled it close to her check and smiled.

She marked this down as the best birthday she'd ever had.

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Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated. Also (some shameless promotion here) when I mention how they met that's from one of my other one-shots, My Heart Is On My Sleeve (Wear It Like A Bruise). So check that out too!


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